Another fisherman killed in attack by Lankan Navy

Nagapattinam (TN), Jan 23 (Agencies): In another incident of alleged attack by Sri Lankan navy, a fisherman was killed and two others injured while fishing off Kodiakarai coast in this district.

The man, who had put out to sea with two others yesterday from Pushpavanam coastal hamlet, died after Sri Lankan Naval personnel tied a rope around his neck and pushed him into the water, fisheries department official sources said.

They said the Naval patrol boat intercepted the vessel and its personnel ordered all the fishermen to jump into the sea. While two did as they were told, the third could not do so as he had a hand injury following which they threw a rope around his neck and pushed him out, they said.

The two injured fishermen, who returned this morning with the body, have been admitted to a hospital.

Top police officials have rushed to the village to take stock of the situation.

Fishermen of the village did not venture into the sea on Sunday in protest against the continuing attacks.

This is the second such incident this month. On January 12, a Tamil Nadu fisherman was killed after Sri Lankan Navy allegedly opened fire in mid-sea.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka on Sunday has rejected the allegations by terming it as baseless.

We have given strict instructions to our naval patrols and we ensure that these instructions are carried out, Senarth said.

Earlier, Indian media reported that a man, who had put out to sea with two others yesterday from Pushpavanam coastal hamlet, died after Sri Lankan Naval personnel tied a rope around his neck and pushed him into the water.

A similar allegation was levelled at the Sri Lankan navy early this month after another fisherman was killed mid sea. However, the navy denied the charges.

"We have investigated these allegations several times and proved they were baseless," Senarath was quoted as saying by the independent Daily Mirror online.

Karuna urges Centre on fisherman killingChennai, Jan 23 (Agencies): Expressing concern over the killing of Tamil Nadu fishermen allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Sunday urged the Centre to take up the matter with Colombo and punish the guilty.

The Chief Minister discussed the matter with Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee during the latter's visit to his residence here, and recalled the latest incident last night, where a fisherman was killed after the Lankan Navy allegedly tied a rope around his neck and threw him into sea.

"The chief minister pointed out the recurrence of such incidents to Mukherjee and asked him to take up the matter with Sri Lanka and demand punishing of the guilty Lankan Naval officials in on Saturday’s incident," an official release said.

Expressing his condolences to the bereaved family members of the deceased Jayakumar, Karunanidhi announced a sum of Rs five lakh as compensation to the kin of the victim.

Afer the January 12 killing, India had summoned the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and lodged a strong protest over the incident. But the island nation has denied involvement of its navy in it.

Karunanidhi had sent a telegram to the Prime Minister demanding his intervention to stop such attacks.